30 Low Budget Movies That Made More Than Their Money Back

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30 Low-Budget Movies That Made LATEST
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As the years go by and production companies get richer, more and more money gets pumped into
movies to the point where we need to question if it's even necessary. You might not realize it, but a ton
of money doesn't necessarily mean a movie is a great, and even movies with billion-dollar budgets have
flopped. Some of the best movies ever came out of nowhere with seriously low budgets and are highly
regarded in the film industry today. Why? Because, while money can buy talent, it can't buy viewers.
Here are 30 low budget movies that became blockbusters when they made more than their money back. 30 Movie Franchises That Started But Never Finished
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THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

Artisan Entertainment
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The Blair Witch Project came out in 1999 and tells the story of three students who travelled into the
woods of a small town to try and get documentary footage of the Blair Witch, a murdering force who
terrorized the town for years. The movie was one of the first ever to comprise primarily of "found video"
footage and therefore had a tiny budget of $60,000. It surprised movie makers everywhere when it
made $248.6 million at the box office and is, to this day, highly regarded in the horror movie genre.
ROCKY
MGM
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Arguably everyone in the world has seen, or at least heard of, Rocky, the 1976 Sylvester Stallone
movie about an amateur boxer from working-class Philadelphia who is chosen to take on the reigning
world heavyweight boxing champion in a fight. The movie had a $1 million budget and nobody saw its
success coming. Not only did the movie make back its $1 million budget and launch Sylvester Stallone's
career, but it took in a whopping $225 million at the box office. There has since been several sequels to
the original and a whole spin-off movie franchise.
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THE FULL MONTY
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Redwave Films
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The Full Monty is the definition of a low-budget British classic, which is probably why viewers loved
it so much. The flick follows a group of friends who, in a desperate bid to make some extra cash, form
their own strip-tease male supergroup (the OG Hustlers). The movie had a budget of $3.5 million and
managed to earn $258 million at the box office. Not only did it do that, but The Full Monty went on to
be nominated for seven Oscars at the 1997 Academy Awards, including a nom for Best Picture.
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MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
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IFC Films
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Did you know that My Big Fat Greek Wedding was produced by Tom Hanks? It all makes sense
now, doesn't it? Despite this, the romantic comedy is still recognized as an indie flick and follows the
story of a Greek woman who wants to marry a man who's not from Greece. We have a lot to thank the
movie for (including bringing Aidan from SATC back onto our screens), and these days, we're not
surprised that it absolutely smashed its budget. The 2002 movie had a budget of $5 million and ended
up making $368.5 million. Deserved.
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HALLOWEEN
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Compass International Films
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Halloween spawned an entire generation of horror movies after its release in 1978. It follows a serial
killer who returns back to the scene of his crime to terrorize the town he once lived in. The movie was
made on a miniscule budget of $325,000, yet it went on to gross $70 million in box offices, which was
basically unheard of in the '70s. The movie launched Jamie Lee Curtis's career, and it has since
spawned 11, yes, ELEVEN installments (including sequels and remakes) with two more in the works.
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PULP FICTION
A Band Apart
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Pulp Fiction was one of the first movies that made people recognize Quentin Tarantino as a
serious movie maker. It was his second movie after Reservoir Dogs as an independent film maker
and had an insane cast including John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and
Bruce Willis. The film had a very small budget in comparison to Tarantino's latest movies. It was
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made on an $8.5 million budget but brought in $213 million at the box office in 1994. The movie was
nominated 26 times during award season and won eight, including an Oscar for Best Original
Screenplay.
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OPEN WATER ADVERTISEMENT
Lionsgate
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These days, shark movies very rarely do well. That wasn't the case back in 2003 however, as Open
Water smashed their small budget at the box office. The movie follows a couple who get stranded in
the ocean while scubadiving because the crew on their boat make a mistake in their head count. They're
subsequently terrorized by sharks in a fight for survival. The movie was made on a mere $130,000
budget, but after it was purchased by Lionsgate following a showing at the Sundance Film Festival, the
movie made $55.5 million.
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THE EVIL DEAD
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New Line Cinema
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The 1981 movie The Evil Dead is the definition of a low budget horror flick, but it's still one of the
most memorable movies in the '80s genre. The movie follows Ash Williams, a man who takes his
girlfriend and three friends to a cabin in the woods for a night away. They find an ancient book that
they soon learn awakens the dead when it's read aloud. It's the first in director Sam Raimi's horror
franchise and was made on a (kind of obviously) low budget of $350,000, but still made a decent $2.4
million at the box office.
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JUNO
Fox Searchlight
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We feel like Juno was a staple movie in our adolescent years, yet it was made on a small budget
without high expectations for its success. The movie launched actress Ellen Page's career and also
starred Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. The plot follows a teenage girl who
accidentally gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. The movie was made on a
budget of $6.5 million, but went on to make $231.4 million and earned the Oscar for Best Origial
Screenplay at the 2007 Academy Awards.
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THE GIFT
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STX Entertainment
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Anyone else get creeped out when Jason Bateman tries to do something serious? Same here. The Gift
follows the story of a married couple who rekindle their friendship with a man from one of their pasts,
but he starts to go crazy on them. The movie was made on a $5 million budget and made back nearly
$60 million thanks to its box office success. The movie was a thriller that nobody expected to be shaken
by when it came out in 2015, but it had just the right amount of suspense and thrill to do it.
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MY LEFT FOOT
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Palace Pictures
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My Left Foot tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irish man who had severe cerebral palsy,
leaving him unable to use his body except for his left foot. Christy went on to become a painter, writer,
and a poet. The movie had a $600,000 budget but brought in $14.7 million, which definitely isn't as
high as some of the blockbusters on this list — but still significant for an Irish production. The movie
even went on to win Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.
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ANNABELLE
Blumhouse
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Horror movies are usually made on a relatively low budget because these days, they don't tend to do too
fantastically at the box office. That wasn't the case for Annabelle, the 2014 spin-off of the 2013 movie
The Conjuring. The movie tells the age old horror story of a demonic doll that terrorizes a family, but
the guys over at Blumhouse did something right because the movie smashed its $6.5 million budget
and made $257 million at the box office. It has since spawned a sequel, Annabelle Comes Home,
which came out in 2019.
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SUBMARINE
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If you haven't seen Submarine, what are you truly doing with your life? The movie is a cult, indie,
British classic that is underappreciated, but it still earned over its budget at the box office. The 2010
movie follows the life of a Welsh teen who is struggling with all the standard things an adolescent man
deals with and more. He loses his virginity on his 16th birthday, he has a problematic girlfriend, and his
parents' marriage is falling apart. The movie was made for just $1.5 million and earned $4.6 million.
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Cillian Murphy and zombies? Sign us up! A Londoner wakes up from a coma to find his city deselect
after a viscious virus broke out, turning everyone into flesh-eating (and FAST) zombies. Not only is the
movie a terrifying horror, but it also gives an insight to the breakdown of modern society, as zombie
flicks tend to do. The movie had a budget of $8 million and made over 10 times that at the box office,
raking in $82 million. A sequel, 28 Weeks Later, came out five years after in 2007.
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AMERICAN PSYCHO
Lionsgate Films
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Christian Bale may be Batman to you, but he's the American Psycho to us, okay? This 2000 movie ADVERTISEMENT
made Christian into a star and we love it for that reason and more. It follows Patrick Bateman, a
wealthy New York City investment banker who lives a double life as a deranged serial killer. The movie
was made on a budget of $7 million and brought in $34.3 million at the box office. *FUN FACT* Before
Christian was cast, Leonardo DiCaprio was meant to play Bateman, but he ditched for The Beach.
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SPLIT
Universal Pictures
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Split was a very highly-anticipated movie, but it still had a budget of just $9 million. The movie was
the 2017 sequel to M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 film Unbreakable, and it starred James McAvoy
as a man with a disorder that allows him to flip back and forth between 23 personalities. The film went
on to rake in $278.5 million at the box office and smashed reviews. The Unbreakable series as since
released a third installment, Glass, which came out in 2019 and also smashed its budget at the box
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FRIDAY THE 13TH
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Paramount Pictures
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Back in the '80s, movies didn't have anywhere near as big of a budget as they do today. The original
Friday the 13th movie, which came out in 1980, was made for $550,000. The slasher movie was one
of the first of its kind and inspired an entire genre of summer camp horror that we still see around
today. At the time, the movie made $60 million at the box office, which was seriously outrageous. Since
its debut, there have been 12 movies made in the series. Anyone else holding out hope for a 13th Friday
the 13th?
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MOONLIGHT
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A24
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Can't remember Moonlight? The homophobia. It was that movie that won the 2017 Best Picture
Oscar that was initially given to La La Land by mistake. The movie made waves for its representation
of LGBTQ+ and black culture when it was released in 2016, but it had a relatively small budget when
you compare it to its earnings. It had a production budget of $4 million and made back more than $60
million — with its box office earnings coming out at $65 million. This just proves that you don't need
CGI to make a good film.
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THE INBETWEENERS
Film4
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The Inbetweeners movie was based on the E4 TV show of the same name. The movie followed the
same four Brits from the show as they traveled to Greece for a "lads" holiday. Considering it was based
on a much-loved but cheaply made TV show, the film had a budget of just $3.5 million. But thanks to
its hilarious plot and cast, it took in $88 million. Not bad for four English lads on vacation. Since then, ADVERTISEMENT
a sequel to the comedy has come out and the show is still a booming success in the UK.
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THE PURGE
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Blumhouse
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The Purge was different from your standard horror movie, which is probably why it did so well at the
box office in 2013. The movie starred Ethan Hawke and GOT's Lena Headey and told the story of a
society where, once a year, all crime is legal for 12 hours. The movie had a small budget of just $3
million, but it earned a whopping $89.3 million at the box office. Since its original release, the movie
has had three sequels as well as a spin-off TV show of the same name, making it one of the most
successful horror series of the decade.
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THE HILLS HAVE EYES

Dune Entertainment
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Not be confused with the 2006 remake, the original 1977 movie The Hills Have Eyes was a major
success in the world of '70s horror. The Wes Craven flick followed the Carters, a suburban family who
were hunted down by a group of cannibal savages when they became stranded in the Nevada desert.
The movie was made with just a six-figure sum — $350,000, to be precise, and it had a ton of
budgetary restraints. Still, it made $25 million at the box office and is considered to be one of the
classics.
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SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Universal Pictures
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Another British classic, Shaun of the Dead rarely gets the attention it deserves, yet it still performed
very well at the box office. The movie was the first to bring TV stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to
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cinema screens in what would be known as the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. The 2004 comedy had
a budget of $6.1 million and took in $30 million at the box office. The movie put the two English
comedians on the map all over the world and gained director Edgar Wright a cult following for his
film making style.
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LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
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Fox Searchlight
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Little Miss Sunshine started out as an Indie movie which ultimately became a blockbuster that
really made a stamp on the world. The 2006 film follows an American family who travel across the
country so the youngest member can compete in a beauty pageant. The movie had a budget of $8
million, which it surpassed multiple times at the box office, taking home $100.5 million. The small
indie movie went on to be nominated for four awards at the 79th Academy Awards, ultimately winning
two — Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
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A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
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Warner Brothers
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Another Wes Craven movie that exceeded the expectations of many was A Nightmare on Elm
Street, a 1984 slasher movie that left viewers fearing sleep for weeks after watching. The movie
introduced us to the terrifying Freddie Krueger, who we've seen referenced multiple times in pop
culture since its initial release. It was made for less than $2 million and made $25.5 million at the box
office. To date, the franchise has nine movies under its belt and has grossed $457 million in total since
1984.
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MAD MAX
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MGM
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Mad Max: Fury Road had such an incredible production that it was clear it had a large budget of
$150 million. However, the original movie, which starred Mel Gibson, was made for a whole lot less —
$350,000, to be precise. The movie made $100 million at the box office, which was very impressive for
a 1970s film. The movie even held the Guinness World Record for the best profit-to-cost movie for
some time. Since 1979, four movies in the franchise have been released, the latest starring Charlize
Theron and Tom Hardy.
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DONNIE DARKO
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Flower Films
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Donnie Darko was one of the first movies produced by Flower Films, Drew Barrymore's
production company. The movie was one of the first to put Jake Gyllenhaal on the map and also
starred his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Drew herself. The film had a low budget of $4.5 million
and although it definitely made its money back, it wasn't to the same level as some of the other movies
on this list, taking in $7.5 million on its initial release. In saying this, the movie later became a cult
classic and is one of Jake's most well-known roles thanks to its large following.
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Napoleon Dynamite is one of the most successful indie comedies that's ever been made. The 2004
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movie was made with a budget of just $400,000. The world immediately fell in love with its characters
and it made more than 100 times its production budget in the box office, raking in a massive $46.1
million on theater sales. With a simple concept, the movie follows Jon Heder as the titular character
who befriends his school's new Mexican student, Pedro, and assists him in running for class president.
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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
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Blumhouse
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Paranormal Activity was a seriously low buget movie and it looked it, too. The 2009 horror film
was filmed in a week — yes, seven days — on a budget of $15,000. How crazy is that? It was shot using
a handheld camera and still managed to terrify people eveywhere upon its release. The film made an
astounding profit on its budget and brought in $193 million at the box office. Thanks to its success and
viewer's desire for more, the movie got five sequels and the most recent, The Ghost Dimension, was
released in 2015.
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GET OUT
Blumhouse Productions
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Jordan Peele is one of the biggest movie makers of the decade, and that's all thanks to his 2017 debut
film Get Out. The movie was a unique take on the horror genre that focuses on societal norms and
behaviors. The movie earned an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, all while it had a budget of just
$4.5 million. The movie took in $255 million at the box office and made Jordan one of the most sought
after film makers in Hollywood. His latest movie, Us, met expectations and brought in $255 million on
its $20 million budget.
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SAW
Twisted Pictures
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Another horror movie for the history books is Saw. Like Paranormal Activity, this 2004 movie was
filmed in just a few days with a low budget of $1.2 million. The movie was James Wan's directorial
debut and followed the story of two men who were trapped in a filthy bathroom and forced to complete
a disturbing puzzle to escape. It made $103.9 million at the box office and has spawned eight
installments and a ninth, which is based on a story by Chris Rock, is due to hit theaters in May 2020.
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RELATED ITEMS AMERICAN PYSCHO ANNABELLE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES CLASSIC MOVIES EVIL DEAD HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIES JUNO
LOW BUDGET MOVIES OPEN WATER PULP FICTION ROCKY SPLIT SUBMARINE
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Gunnar Englund
What about Easy rider?
Like · Reply · 9 · 5w
Chris Wellwood
That's the one I immediately thought of. It was so low budget most of the bit players were random
people they picked up off the street!
Like · Reply · 1w
Tommy Clabo
good call...i wonder what the stats are on the that
Like · Reply · 4d
Greddy DS Dela Paz

Tommy Clabo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Rider
Like · Reply · 1d
José González González

The Born Losers and Easy Rider are in this group of films.
Alexandre Tabet
Lost in Translation. Cost under $5 million to produce, grossed over $100 million.
Armon Nicooneci
Grease
Box Office
Budget:$6,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend USA: $8,941,717, 18 June 1978
Gross USA: $189,969,103
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $396,961,563
John McCumber
$6 million in 1978 is not considered a low budget movie though.
Giuseppe Jordan Tagliabue

John McCumber also 397 million was a huge gross in the late '70s
Abdul Rahman Ibrahim

Was expecting to see The Mariachi in this list.
Douglas Javier Jimenez Cely

and clerks
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COMPELLING ISSUES BEAUTY ENTERTAINMENT MIND & BODY QUIZZES PARENTING

30 Low-Budget Movies That Made LATEST

More Than Their Money Back 30 TV Characters Who

TV And Movie Characters

Critics Agree: These Movies Are Complete Trash

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

THE FULL MONTY

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

Compass International Films

OPEN WATER ADVERTISEMENT

THE EVIL DEAD

New Line Cinema

FRIDAY THE 13TH

THE HILLS HAVE EYES

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

MAGAZINES FOR EVERYONE

← Previous Story Next Story →

Greddy DS Dela Paz

José González González

Giuseppe Jordan Tagliabue

Abdul Rahman Ibrahim

Douglas Javier Jimenez Cely

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